


On Your Side

by brilliantbanshee



Series: Lone Star Week [1]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Gen, Hate Crimes, People are Assholes, Problems from the past return kind of, Team as Family, The 126 sticks up for it's own
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:15:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23983663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brilliantbanshee/pseuds/brilliantbanshee
Summary: They may not have been together long, but the 126 has formed a bond. It’s members feel like family; always welcomed and accepted. Unfortunately, the rest of the world is not always so kind. But if people think they are going to mess with a member of their team, they are sorely mistaken.Written for Lone Star Week Day 1 - Family
Series: Lone Star Week [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1733593
Comments: 19
Kudos: 150
Collections: 9-1-1 Lone Star Week





	On Your Side

**Author's Note:**

> This work went through so many reincarnations it's practically immortal by now. It was originally a 5+1 and it was a series of vignettes for a bit, but it ended up here.
> 
> Also, we have some returning character form my Judd and TK brother series. See if you can spot them!

Judd walked out into the parking lot, heading to his truck and thinking of spending the night with Grace. They both had the night off, which hadn’t happened often in the past few weeks. They had some lost time to make up for and Judd could not wait. 

He spotted Marjan standing by her car, presumably making the same quick exit he was, “Night Marjan,” he called to her. He was about to climb into his truck when he noticed that she hadn’t acknowledged him and was still standing in the same spot. “Marjan,” he called again, “everything okay?” 

Still no answer. He threw his bag into his truck and shut the door, walking instead to Marjan’s car. When he drew equal with her he called her name again. She startled and looked up at him, “Yeah Judd?” 

He frowned at her, “I’ve been trying to get your attention for a bit. Everything okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s fine, everything’s good.” But her voice was strained and she was stepping closer to her car, avoiding his eyes. Judd didn’t believe her for a second. He leaned forward, peering around her body and froze. 

There were...words painted on her windshield. Judd simply stared at them for several long, silent moments. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Once he passed the initial shock, his blood began to boil. He turned to Marjan, “Who did this?” he asked, making a concentrated effort to keep his voice even. 

“Judd, it’s not a big deal…” 

Judd stared at her, incredulous, “Not a big deal? Marjan, they...it’s a big deal.” 

She shook her head, “No it’s not, it’s normal. It doesn’t mean anything, it doesn’t bother me.” 

“First of all, you’re lying. I can tell that it does bother you. Secondly, this is not _normal_ , Marjan. This is illegal. They trespassed and vandalized your car with,” he glanced back down at the car, “awful things. I’m not going to allow it.” He turned to head back to the station, determined to catch Owen before he left. As the Captain, he should be the one to call this into APD. Plus, he would want to know.

“Judd!” he heard Marjan calling after him but he kept walking. She called his name again and then she was in front of him, “Judd,” she repeated, “you don’t need to tell Cap about this. It’s--” 

“If you say fine one more time I swear--”

“Fine, maybe it’s not fine, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.” 

Judd finally stopped and took a good look at Marjan. Her expression was frantic; nothing like the usual calm certainly that she normally displayed. She looked scared. It brought him grinding to a halt. Marjan and scared were not too things he had generally associated, “Marjan,” he asked slowly, “What are you afraid of? Not whoever did this, because I swear nothing will happen to you; we’ll all make sure of that.” 

She waved off his concerns, “No, I’m not afraid of whoever this is; these types rarely have the guts to show their face.” 

He looked at her blankly, “Then, what are you afraid of?”

“I’m not afraid,” she repeated. It was no more convincing the second time. “I just don’t think Cap needs to worry about this. He has a lot on his plate, that’s all.” 

She was avoiding his eyes as she spoke and what she wasn’t saying suddenly became clear. “Why don’t you want Owen to know?” 

She looked down, and Judd knew he had hit the nail on the head - but that didn’t mean it made any more sense. 

“I just don't want him to worry about me. He has so much going on as it is and...he doesn’t need anything else to worry about.”

Marjan was an empathetic soul, Judd knew this. She always looked out for others and was stubborn as all get out. Her wanting to solve her own problems he understands, but not telling Owen was another thing entirely. There was still something bothering her, something she was not sharing. 

“He needs to know, it happened at his station.” She still had the same hesitation and Judd frowned at her, concerned. “You do know he has access to the security cameras, he’s going to find out eventually,” he reminded her. 

“It’s just,” she started, “he has so much to worry about. He’s building a new firehouse, he’s battling cancer; I don’t want him to regret choosing someone who brings this kind of baggage. He searched the entire country for members of this crew, I don’t want him to think he should have gone with the runner up.”

Judd didn’t even know where to begin with that. It was wrong on so many levels that he wasn’t sure which one to address first. 

“If you think he’d think that, you don’t know Owen.” 

“Judd--” 

“No, Marjan, listen. He chose you because he wanted you. He is not a stupid man; he knew this would be a possibility. Has he ever said or done anything that would indicate that he would be even remotely okay with this? Because if he has, please tell me and I’ll hit him myself.” 

That at least got a small smile out of her. “I know you’re right,” she said softly, “but I hate bringing this to anyone else.”

“No one should ever have to deal with this, but you’re not doing it alone.”

Marjan bit her lip and looked down. After a while, she looked up and nodded. Judd heaved a sigh of relief and gestured for her to lead the way to Owen’s office. 

About an hour and several conversations later, the culprits had been found. Turns out they weren’t bright enough to think about things like security cameras, so a quick check into the camera feed and a call to APD had been all it took. It had helped that Judd had known the guys; unfortunately. It was Cal and his loser friends from the bar. Explaining that story to Owen had not been fun, but he had at least been able to pull TK into the hot water with him so it wasn’t a total loss. That, and the fact that these guys would actually be getting arrested now. 

They had gone way past hate speech and had ended up on stalking; according to Carlos. He advised Marjan to file for a restraining order, and for Judd and TK to not pick any more fights with random racists in bars. Of course, TK couldn’t help but remind Judd that he had been the one to throw the first punch, to which Judd responded that it had been his smart mouth that had started the whole fiasco. Paul had tried to jump in, but a look from Carlos had brought the conversation to a screeching halt. 

There was nothing to do now but pick up the pieces. Which is exactly what he aimed to do as he headed to the bunks in pursuit of Marjan. She had slipped out while they had been arguing about the bar fight and Judd had a feeling that she was not actually taking this as well as she had let on. He found her sitting on the edge of her bunk, Buttercup sprawled across her lap. She was stroking the dog’s head, but her attention seemed to be somewhere else. 

“How are you doing?” he asked her from the doorway, not wanting to startle her with proximity. 

She looked up and blinked, clearly pulling herself back to reality. She looked up at Judd and seemed to be processing his question, “I’m fine,” she replied eventually, her voice unconvincing.

“Like hell you are.”

She chuckled, “If you knew the answer, why’d you ask?” 

Judd shrugged, “Grace is always reminding me about that thing about assumptions.” 

Marjan shook her head fondly and looked back down at the dog. She gently stroked his head, her hand moving in an automatic rhythmic motion for several moments before she spoke, “I hate that they wrote that and I hate what they wrote, but for some reason what bothers me more is that it happened here and that you all saw it. I trust you all, but knowing that you saw it makes me feel worse than anything they could ever say to me would. I don’t understand it.” 

Judd nodded, “Makes perfect sense to me.” At Marjan’s baffled expression he continued, “The firehouse is a safe place, right? This is somewhere you go and you feel comfortable. You know that you are safe and supported here. Whatever happens out there, you know that when you walk in here you are with your team and that we won’t judge you for anything. Am I right so far?”

At her nod, he continued, “So this happening here, at your safe place, with the people you trust, it’s made your two worlds collide.”

“And it doesn’t feel as safe anymore,” she whispered, hands tightening in Buttercups fur. “I think you might be onto something Judd.” 

They sat in silence for a while before Marjan’s voice broke the silence, “Since you seem to have such a great understanding of the situation, what do you think? Got any advice?”

Judd considered, “I don’t know about advice,” he said after a bit, “but I can offer you a promise.” 

She looked up at his words and their eyes met. He continued, “I promise you that with this team, you will always be safe here. No one in this house will ever make you feel less than what you are for any reason. We can’t control the world outside but we can damn sure control what happens in these walls.”

“How can you promise that?”

Judd shrugged, “I know this team,” he said simply. 

She studied him for several moments. Judd couldn’t be sure what she was looking for. Signs that he was lying? Any indication that he didn’t mean what he had said? Whatever it was, she must not have found it because she nodded and gently pushed Buttercup off of her lap. “We have been here far too long,” she announced, “what do you say we get out of here?” 

“I like the sound of that,” he agreed, hiking his backpack higher up on his shoulder. He waited for her to exit the bunkroom and followed closely behind. 

When they reached the parking lot, there was a suspicious looking group surrounding her car. Marjan and Judd exchanged glances before moving closer. 

“What are you guys doing?” Marjan asked their teammates as they all spun around, surprised to see her. 

“Nothing! We were just…” Mateo trailed off, looking over at Paul and TK for support. TK rolled his eyes at the probie and stepped aside, gesturing towards her car. The windshield was now spotless, no sign of the message or the bug she had hit the day before. She looked between all of them, clearly not knowing what to say. She settled on pulling TK and Mateo into a tight hug. 

She peered over their conjoined shoulders at Paul and Judd, watching from the side. “This is a mandatory group hug,” she informed them, “don’t make me take this to the top.” Paul chuckled and stepped forward to join in. Judd shook his head fondly. 

“I mean it Cowboy Judd, don’t think I won’t call the captain in for this. Get over here.” 

And so he did. 

* * *

Mateo hated these trainings. Not only did he think they were boring and a waste of time, but they were also department-wide. Which meant firefighters from multiple houses; which meant that there were usually more than a few people Mateo had zero interest in ever speaking to or seeing again.

“Yo, Chavez!” 

Like Chad Richter, for example. He forced himself to keep his face neutral as he turned to face the other firefighter heading towards him from the edge of the crowd. “Richter,” he replied, taking care to keep his voice passive. 

“What are you doing here?” Chad asked him, looking him up and down, taking in the AFD uniform with a skeptical eyebrow. 

“There’s a training,” Mateo answered, gesturing towards the sign that clearly stated that today’s presentation would be on the Effectiveness of Fire Service Positive Pressure Ventilation. 

Chad rolled his eyes, “Obviously I know that Chavez. I meant, what are you doing at an AFD training? Someone finally take pity on you and let you in as a mop boy?”

This is exactly why Mateo had not been looking forward to this. He knew that there would be someone or even multiple someones who would want to make cracks at him. They had always been good at the cheap shots. He was about to open his mouth to respond - though he had absolutely no idea what he was going to say - when another voice sounded from behind him and effectively interrupted the conversation. 

“Hey Probie,” TK called as he grew closer, clapping a hand on Mateo’s shoulder when he reached him, “C’mon, we’ve gotta get going. Strickland has saved us seats and is eager to get to learning, you know how he is. I swear he is going to check our notes after this.” TK paused in his speech though as he noticed the other firefighter, or possibly the tension in the air. He stuck on his winning smile and stuck out his hand to Chad, though the other one tightened on Mateo’s shoulder, “I don’t believe we’ve met. TK Strand, 126.” 

Chad looked away from Mateo and towards TK. He took the offered hand and looked TK up and down appraisingly. “Chad Richter, 121.” 

“How do you and our Probie know each other Chad?”

Most people walking by would just think that TK was making polite conversation. But Mateo knew the other man well enough to know that the tone he was using was the one he reserved for assholes. That, and the facts that his hand was still on Mateo’s shoulder and had used the term “our Probie” helped Mateo to relax, ever so slightly. He wasn’t alone this time. 

Chad was clearly most people as he smiled smugly before responding, “Oh, we went through the academy together. We started at the 121 together too, you know, before. But hey, it is good to see you Chavez, I’ll let some of the others know you’re here too, I’m sure they’ll want to catch up.” 

The threat was well veiled, but there. Mateo wished the ground would just open up and swallow him. This could not be happening. 

“Sounds great, but we really need to get back to our teammate,” TK replied before Mateo could even open his mouth, “but it was nice to meet you Chad.” With that they were gone, TK steering Mateo back into the crowd and away from Chad. He could feel his pulse thrumming in his ears even as they walked, melding with the sounds of the crowd. 

“I’m guessing you and Chad aren’t buddies?” TK murmured as they walked. Mateo shook his head, unable and unwilling to say anything else. TK glanced over at him but didn’t press. Mateo was sure it was written all over his face; he had never been good at poker. He knew TK was drawing conclusions, and he knew they were probably right. He remained silent the entire journey to their seats and when Paul looked at them curiously upon their arrival TK shook his head. Mateo appreciated his discretion. There were far too many curious and nosy people in the crowd. Mateo was not naive enough to think that TK would let him get out of talking about this, but he was grateful his teammate had the sense to wait. 

The training passed in a blur. He tried his best to pay attention and to take notes, but it was all he could do to keep himself from glancing around, looking for his old teammates. His tormentors. He was safe at the moment, they were all busy. But he dreaded the moment he ran into them. He knew they wouldn’t let him pass by without a few good jabs. They had probably missed their favorite punching bag, and Mateo was not interested in making up for lost time. 

The break for lunch came far too soon. The room filled with chatter and the scuffing of chairs on the hard floor and Mateo felt his dread rising. He vaguely heard Paul and TK talking about possibilities for lunch but he couldn’t focus on their conversation. The only things he could focus on were the pounding of his heart and his rising fear. He almost jumped when TK nudged him to get his attention, “What do you think Probie - taco truck or grain bowls?” 

He could see Paul mouthing “taco truck” over TK’s shoulder, but he couldn’t even bring himself to laugh at their antics. TK squeezed his shoulder and gave him a look that spoke volumes, “We’ll go around the long way, and you stay between us. It’ll be fine Mateo, we’re not letting you face anyone alone.” 

He nodded and accepted TK’s hand up. He still couldn’t form the words to thank him, but he could breathe a little easier. Paul walked around him to place himself on the opposite side and they headed out into the crowd, Mateo flanked by his teammates. They had made it through the conference room and into the parking lot and he was just going to allow himself a sigh of relief when he heard that tell-tale voice again, calling his name. He closed his eyes, feeling the dread wash over him as TK put himself slightly in front of him and Paul stood a little straighter. 

“Can I help you fellas?” TK asked, adopting his overly polite tone again. 

“We were just hoping to catch up with our good buddy Chavez here,” said one of them. Travis Craig; Mateo would know that voice anywhere. 

“We’re just on our way to grab some lunch and we don’t have much time, you know how these things are. So we’ve really got to keep moving, I’m sure you understand.” 

Travis nodded with false sincerity, “Of course, we wouldn’t want to hold you up. But this shouldn’t take long. We just wanted to ask Chavez who’s cock he had to suck to get himself another shot in the AFD. Must have been good too if they’ve let him stick around. There are only so many floors to mop.”

Mateo could feel both Paul and TK stiffen. He wanted to melt into the sidewalk. He had finally found himself a home, a team that trusted him and was willing to put in the time to help him grow. Now they were learning what the rest of AFD thought of him. Hadn’t these guys taken enough from him; now they were determined to ruin his life again? 

TK’s voice had lost its polite veneer. It was cold now as he spoke again, “Probably the same one you did to graduate high school.” 

There was a snort from one of the crew who quickly schooled his features into disgust when the other members of his group glared at him. “Whatever man,” Chad spat, “doesn’t change the facts. You won’t be around long. It takes more than whatever the hell you’ve got going for you to make it in AFD. You’ve actually gotta be able to read too. We’ll see how long it is before your captain figures out that having you around is a liability.” 

It was Paul who spoke this time. “Please, dazzle me with your test scores,” he said dryly, “I’m sure you also scored a 92% on your written exam, and if I remember correctly, Mateo here came up first in his class for the practical exams, which means that you had to fall somewhere below the top. So really, if you want to look at this _logically_ , that would mean that he is the superior firefighter, so I suggest you all shove it and get out of our way.” 

Mateo wasn’t sure if it was the steel in Paul’s voice or the facts he had listed, but to his surprise, they did just that. They turned and left without another word, and it was all Mateo could do to stare after them in shock. “Hey,” TK said, peering at him with concern, “you good Probie?” 

There were so many things Mateo wanted to say. He wanted to tell them thank you. He wanted to apologize for dragging them in. He wanted to explain everything. But when he opened his mouth, all that spilled out was, “I didn’t get to tell them to fuck off.” 

His teammates both burst into laughter. “I can call them back, if you’d like,” Paul offered, taking a steadying breath. 

“No, I’m good,” Mateo said quickly. “It’s just - I should have handled it. You guys didn’t have to get involved.” 

TK shrugged, “We wanted to. No one talks to our Probie like that.” 

Paul nodded earnestly, “Yeah man, it’s what we do. We’re family, remember? No one gets to talk to my crew like that without experiencing a good old fashioned take down!”

TK looked at Paul consideringly, “is it just me, or did that feel kind of good?” 

“You know it did. The takedown is a sport at which we excel. It always feels good to stretch those muscles.” He accented his words with a dramatic flex of his arm. 

Mateo rolled his eyes, “You two are dorks.” 

“Careful there Probie, or I’ll side with TK on the grain bowls.” 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed it because this one almost killed me. 
> 
> I kid, but I really can't remember the last time I struggled so much with a story. It's been a while at least. I'm pretty happy with the result, but I'd love to know what you think! 
> 
> (And if you were wondering yeah, those are the guys that Judd got into the fight with who were being gross about Marjan in chapter 2 of Brother (I will hear you call) back again)
> 
> See you back here tomorrow for my next one - I really love it.


End file.
